City Council

Minutes were approved on January 31, 2024, by the Public Works Committee. CITY OF LACONIA - CITY COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING Public Works Committee 3:00 P.M. 12/20/2023 - Minutes 1. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Haynes called the meeting to order at 3:04 PM 2. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Chairman Haynes led the salute to the flag. 3. RECORDING SECRETARY Katie Gargano, City Clerk 4. ROLL CALL Clerk Gargano called the roll of the following committee members: Councilor Soucy, Councilor Hayes and Councilor Felch. Chairman Haynes noted that all committee members were in attendance and a quorum was established. 5. STAFF IN ATTENDANCE Kirk Beattie, City Manager; Glenn Smith, Finance Director 6. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS 6.A. Approval of Public Works Subcommittee minutes of April 10, 2023 Councilor Soucy made a motion to approve the minutes with no changes submitted to the clerk, Seconded by Councilor Felch. Discussion: None. The motion passed with all in favor. 3-0 7. PUBLIC WORKS (Haynes (Chair), Felch, Soucy) 7.A. Review of Public Work's Transfer Station fee increase request Public Works requests Transfer Station fees increase due to projected annual increases in the cost of disposing of solid waste. The cost of collecting and disposing of the city’s solid waste has historically been funded by a combination of user fees and a taxpayer subsidy. Between FY 2014 and 2023, sixty percent of the cost has come from user fees and forty percent from property taxes. The solid waste program’s three major expenses are: Curbside Collection. Curbside Collection under a contract with Casella that is adjusted annually on October 1 st . The The solid waste program’s three major expenses are: Curbside Collection. Curbside Collection under a contract with Casella that is adjusted annually on October 1 st . The processing and sale of recycling collected at the curb is adjusted monthly based on the value of the recyclables. Transfer Station Operation of the transfer station and hauling of solid waste to a disposal site under a contract with Waste Management. The cost associated with contract increases annually in July based on the CPI for all Urban Consumers (Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA, NH) +1%. The rate is also adjusted once a year (July 1) based on the price of fuel. Disposal The landfill tipping fee increases annually on January 1st of each year. The contract fee for each year is established in the contract through December 31, 2029. The City Council’s guidance on future solid waste fee increases directed staff to develop a system that would raise rates based on cost increases associated with collecting, handling, and disposing of the City’s solid waste. City staff to meet the Council’s guidance and fund the program’s expenses City staff is proposing a two-part plan. The first part is two proposed rate increases between now and July 1, 2024, to meet projected expenses. The second part is the development of a system that will adjust the Transfer Station fees based on the program’s contract increases, which occur three times per year. The following chart compares current fees versus predicted costs: Type waste Last Increase Current Fee Predicted cost on Jan 1, 2024 Proposed fee on Jan 1, 2024 Predicted cost on July 1, 2024 Proposed fee on July 1, 2024 Laconia Household waste (MSW) up to 100 lbs 2012 $5 $106.85 No Change $107.85 $10 Laconia Household Waste (MSW) Over 100 lbs 2022 $105 $106.85 No Change $107.85 No Change Gilford/out of town Household waste (MSW) 2022 $110 $106.85 $115 $107.85 $125 Laconia Construction debris 2012 $150 $124.69 No Change $131.21 $170 Gilford/out of town Construction debris 2012 $150 $124.69 No Change $131.21 $170 City Staff will as part of the budget process be bringing a proposal for a system for future transfer station fee increases. Public Works recommends that the City Council approve the proposed changes to transfer station fees. Without a fee increase, the property tax subsidy of the solid waste program will increase beyond the historical average of 40 percent. Director Anderson started on page 2 of the staff report to discuss the proposed fee chart. Councilor Soucy asked what does MSW mean on the chart, it means household trash. Councilor Haynes asked if we are still getting a lot of trash from Gilford? Director Anderson stated we are getting their commercial trash. Councilor Soucy asked about the out of towners paying enough.  Councilor Soucy asked what does MSW mean on the chart, it means household trash. Councilor Haynes asked if we are still getting a lot of trash from Gilford? Director Anderson stated we are getting their commercial trash. Councilor Soucy asked about the out of towners paying enough. Director Smith passed out 3 handouts to show the current and future projections. Jeff Gray from Imperial Hauling spoke to the committee about his business and what they have to offer. This year they have brought 2100 tons of constructions debris to the Laconia transfer station. If we increased our construction fee $20, that would cost approximately $40,000.00. Since Casella is private the off the street cost is $200/ton but they were able to negotiate the rate to $139. He’d like to see a tiered scale offered to keep his business here in Laconia. Councilor Felch asked Mr. Gray if the rate proposed is fair? He feels it is rich, but it’s not as high as the private ones. Mr. Gray stated that most municipal transfer stations will not accept commercial haulers. He said the options are Gilford, Casella in Belmont, A private in Bow or another place in Rumney. Chairman Haynes asked if what the committee has in front of them now is what they want to bring to the full council? Councilor Felch said he’d like to see the whole thing presented to the council with letting the city council know that they may be looking at a tiered system for larger quantities being brought by commercial haulers. The committee agreed. 7.B. Review of a new Transfer Station fee to process bulk single stream recycling and corrugated cardboard at the Transfer Station On December 6, 2023, Waste Management requested to enter negotiations to amend the transfer station operating agreement to establish a fee for handling and processing bulk recycling that is brought by businesses to the Transfer Station. Up until 2017 the processing of curbside recycling was free as the value of the recycling product covered the cost of transporting and processing the product. The City has always been charged a fee to handle and process the recycling brought to the residential recycling area at the Transfer Station. Resident recycling dropped off at the Transfer Station has been a loss leader for Waste Management as it is a fixed fee that is just adjusted for inflation and fuel costs once per year. The current cost to the City for residential recycling brought to the Transfer Station’s recycling area was $77.15/ton in November. Waste Management processed 75 tons in Fiscal Year 2023. For comparison, the cost to the City for Casella’s processing curbside recycling has been between $127 and $152/ton for the past 12 months and they processed 826 tons in FY 2023. Current trash disposal cost is $102.69/ton. With the conversion to automated collection, businesses with a trash dumpster no longer have their recycling collected at the curb and those businesses without a dumpster are limited to 4 containers. Businesses are bringing truckloads of recycling which is not appropriate to offload into the residential recycling containers. The City does not charge for these loads and since there is not a fee in the Transfer Station operating agreement, they have not been charging for the material. The amount of material has become significant. Waste Management is proposing establishing a formula similar to Casella’s where its fee is based on the value of the recycling product. Casella’s changes monthly. Waste Management’s proposal is to change their fee every 6 months to minimize the changes to the Station’s fee schedule. Their proposal would establish two fees, they are:  Waste Management is proposing establishing a formula similar to Casella’s where its fee is based on the value of the recycling product. Casella’s changes monthly. Waste Management’s proposal is to change their fee every 6 months to minimize the changes to the Station’s fee schedule. Their proposal would establish two fees, they are: · Single stream recycling brought to the Transfer Station by truck. o Waste Management’s fee if it was in effect at this time would be $160.68/ton. o For comparison, Casella’s fee for processing recycling for the month of November was $135.14. · Corrugated cardboard brought to the Transfer Station by truck. o Waste Management’s fee if it was in effect at this time would be $144.72/ton Options available to City for the subcommittee ‘s review are: · Stop accepting bulk recycling at the Transfer Station and require all businesses with a trash dumpster to have a recycling dumpster. · Stop accepting bulk recycling from businesses and provide them the option of disposing of it as trash or obtaining a recycling dumpster. · Establish a fee for bulk recycling brought to the Transfer Station. This option also provides businesses the option to dispose of the recycling as trash or obtaining a recycling dumpster. Presently the State has not made recycling mandatory. Director Anderson recommends that the City establish a fee for bulk recycling brought to the Transfer Station. Small quantity residential recycling brought to the recycling area would still be free. The committee recommends the city manager contacts Waste Management to negotiate recycling fees and will bring back a contract for the committee to review. 7.C. Review of new procedures for preventing asbestos from being delivered to the Transfer Station Director Anderson stated that DES permits the transfer station and we are not permitted to accept contaminated loads. All demolition projects must be inspected by an inspector, and they will be requiring an inspection report that proves they have taken the proper steps. The committee supports the posting of signage about contaminated loads and supported that all the steps are followed as described. 7.D. Discussion on providing additional solid waste containers to residential properties Current rules: • Residence must be on a public road or bring their solid waste to a public road to obtain containers. • Lots with a dumpster cannot get containers from the City. • Businesses with trash dumpsters but not recycling dumpsters cannot get recycling containers. • Lots with a dumpster cannot get containers from the City. • Businesses with trash dumpsters but not recycling dumpsters cannot get recycling containers. • Businesses without dumpsters cannot get additional containers. • Empty lots are not authorized containers. • Dock only lots are not authorized containers Proposed rules: • Residences that have been converted from single family homes to multifamily without appropriate approvals cannot get additional containers • Apartment/condo complexes that are 4 units or above cannot get additional containers. • Buildings that have residences and businesses in one building cannot get additional containers. They are authorized 4 sets for the building. • Senior citizens with a smaller set of containers cannot request additional containers. They can swap for a larger size. • Single family homes used for short term rentals cannot request additional containers. • Single family homes converted into duplexes without the appropriate authorizations are not authorized additional containers. (hard to prove but not impossible – 10 Eastman Shore Road South) • Sober houses desiring extra containers are based on the number of bedrooms. - See below: Options: Single family homes can only request 1 additional set of containers, or they can request 1 trash or 1 recycling container. or Single family home with 3 bedrooms or more per the Tax Assessor’s office records can request 1 additional set of containers, or they can request 1 trash or 1 recycling container. or  request 1 additional set of containers, or they can request 1 trash or 1 recycling container. or Single family home with 5 or more bedrooms can request 2 additional set of containers, or they can request 2 trash or 2 recycling containers. Duplexes that consist of 2 single family homes that have 3 bedrooms or more per unit per the Tax Assessor’s office records can request 1 additional set of containers, or they can request 1 trash or 1 recycling container per unit. Triplexes that consist of 3 single family homes that have 3 bedrooms or more per unit per the Tax Assessor’s office records can request 1 additional set of containers, or they can request 1 trash or 1 recycling container per unit. Concept: Additional containers must have a decal on them. The system would be similar to what we use for dump stickers, i.e. the sticker is good for a year. The Contractor would only empty containers that have current stickers on them. Proposed payments: The property owner pays for the additional containers from the City. The City continues to own the containers (?). Cost of the cart includes: • Cart • Administration fee • Delivery fee (waived if they pick up the container from Public Works) Property owner pays annually a fee that includes: • Cost of collection • Cost of disposal • Administration fee o Cost of sticker for container that includes ? Processing ? Database The committee has a lot of opposition so they will come back with it being very narrow and a fee will be established with it. 8. Any other business that may come before the Committee  ? Database The committee has a lot of opposition so they will come back with it being very narrow and a fee will be established with it. 8. Any other business that may come before the Committee None. 9. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Haynes adjourned the meeting at 4:14 PM Respectfully submitted, Katie Gargano, City Clerk